French President won't add Hezbollah to EU terror list

Ha'aretz Daily ^ | 7/29/02 | Aluf Benn

[NormsRevenge]

French President Jacques Chirac rejected Monday Israel's request to add Hezbollah to the European Union's list of terror organizations.

Chirac told Foreign Minister Shimon Peres that the Hezbollah had a political-social branch that fulfills a "social mission in Lebanon."

Chirac said that it is not clear whether denouncing the organization will benefit Israel, because such a denouncement would strengthen Hezbollah and weaken the central government in Beirut.

During his meeting with Peres, the president raised the "anti-France campaign" he says is being held in the United States, presenting France as an anti-Semitic country. Peres said that there has been a significant decrease in the number of attacks against Jews in France, and praised Chirac for saying that an attack on a synagogue is an attack on France.

Chirac and Peres agreed on the need to convene a regional summit (as Peres suggested) or an international summit, suggested by Chirac, as soon as possible.

[NormsRevenge]

Chirac told Foreign Minister Shimon Peres that the Hezbollah had a political-social branch that fulfills a "social mission in Lebanon."

:-|

[gcruse]

Is that anything like the USO?

[EternalHope]

During his meeting with Peres, the president raised the "anti-France campaign" he says is being held in the United States, presenting France as an anti-Semitic country.

In reality, anti-semitism is not considered a bad thing in France.

However, supporting the United States in our efforts to keep the world safe from terrorism, now THAT would be bad.

I would boycott everything French, but they have nothing I want anyway. Not even their cheese.

[rmlew]

The Islamic Terrorists in Algeria also fulfill social missions. Does that mean that they are not terrorists?

[prophetic]

yeah, so fulfilling this so-called 'social mission' give credibility & excuse to the hundreds of murders committed by them?????

[Bigg Red]

Chirac says: ....Hezbollah had a political-social branch that fulfills a "social mission in Lebanon."

Well I suppose that is true if one considers that they are training people to hate and to kill -- a Job Corps for terrorists.

[Brytani]

Hitler was by all account a loving and doting son to his mother. The German government, under Hitler's rule also created a wealth of social programs designed to help German families, especially mothers and children. Maybe this is why the French were not concerned when Hitler's troops took over their country - after all Hitler wasn't terrorizing the French people and Jews across Europe, he was fufilling a social need in Europe.

[B Knotts]

7 comments, and we haven't yet seen the cheese-eating surrender monkey picture?

Disappointing...

[B Knotts]

There. That's better.

[gaspar]

Hizbollah has been financed by Iran for many years. France is trying to win oil and gas concessions in Iran. Trading with fascists is as French as roquefort cheese.

[sheik yerbouty]

Chirac can't add them to any such list, as France has already surrendered to the jihadists.

[aimhigh]

France have never met a ruthless dictator they didn't like. This doesn't surprise me.